USMC Energy: Extending the Corps’ Reach
A conversation with the Director of the USMC’s Expeditionary Energy Office
Colonel Jim Caley served in a number of logistics leadership roles during the 1990s, including deployments to Somalia and the Republic of Korea. After serving as the Operations Officer and Executive Officer for Brigade Service Support Group-1 at Camp Pendleton, Col. Caley deployed as the Executive Officer of Combat Service Support Group-11 to Kuwait and Iraq. After attending the School of Advanced Warfare and serving again in Korea, in June 2006 Col. Caley became the Commanding Officer, Combat Logistics Battalion 13, and deployed to Iraq with 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit. He then spent a year at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and was assigned to the Pakistan Afghanistan Coordination Cell on the Joint Staff. In July of 2011, Col. Caley took command of Combat Logistics Regiment 1, 1st Marine Logistics Group at Camp Pendleton. In July of 2013, he was reassigned to Marine Corps headquarters as the Director of Expeditionary Energy.
Interview by DoD P&E Editor George Jagels
DoD P&E: In broad terms, what is the purpose of the Expeditionary Energy Office (E2O)?
Col. Caley: Our job is to lead the Marine Corps’ energy innovation. The USMC has a great history of innovation—whether it’s the development of amphibious operations or close air support. The Corps has been really good at transforming itself when we needed to. E2O finds really cool innovations that give our forces more operational reach and make our Marines more effective. That may be an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platform that doesn’t take any gas, hybrid power systems that require half the fuel of current versions, or guiding the development of fuel-efficient armored vehicles.